Suspension-fixture for electric lights



May 3, 1932. M. E. SURFACE ET AL 1,856,142

SUSPENSION FIXTURE FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTS Filed Dec. 11, 1930 Patented May 3, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE "MORRIS E. SURFACE AND ARTHUR W. WELLINGTON, E WATERIBURY, CONNECTICUT,

ASSIGNORS TO THE CHASE COMPANIES, INCL, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A.

(FORPORATION SUSPENSION-FIXTURE FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTS Application filed December 11, 1930. Serial No. 501,552.

This invention relates to an improvement in suspensionfixtures for electric lights and particularly to suspension-fixtures having articulated self-aligning suspension-stems for the support of a lighting-fixture The main object of this invention is to provide at a low cost for manufacture a simple convenlent and reliable articulated suspension-fixture constructed with particular m reference to neatness and improved appearance by virtue of the shielding or concealment of its flexible joint.

With the above and other oo ects in view as will appear from the following, our invention consists in a suspension-fixture for electric lights characterized by a normally fixed support; a suspension-stem connected thereto by means of an articulated joint with capacity forrelative lateral swinging movement; a canopy for concealing the upper end of the fixture; and a canopy-supporting sleeve carried by the said normally-fixed support with capacity for adjustment longitudinally thereof and of sufficient length to extend downward from the said normallyiiited support over the articulated joint and partway over the upper end of the said suspension-stem.

Our invention further consists in a suspension-fixture for electric lights characterized as above and having certain other details of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the upper end of a suspension-fixture for electric lights embodying our invention, the suspension-stern being broken away to omit its lower end and the lightingfixture proper carried thereby;

Fig. 2 is a broken transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 but on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a broken transverse horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 but on a larger scale;

Fig. 4c is a detached viewpartly in side elevation and partly in transverse vertical section of the canopy-supporting sleeve; and

Fig. 5 is a top or plan view thereof.

In the embodiment of our invention herein chosen for illustration, we employ a tubular suspension-stem 10 carrying at its lower end a lighting-fixture (not shown) of any approved design and connected with capacity for lateral swinging movement to a suspension head 11 forming the lowermost member of a normally-fixed support which consists also of a tubular externally-threaded nipple 12 and a U-shaped hickey 13.

The upper horizontal arm 14 ofthe hickey 13 is provided with a vertical threaded bore 15 for application to a ceiling-stud or other suitable means for supporting the fixture as a whole, and has its lower horizontal arm 16 provided with a vertical threaded bore 17 for the reception of the upper end of the externally-threaded nipple 12 already referred to. The lower end of the nipple 12 is screwed into an internally-threaded socket 18 in the upper end of the head 11, which latter is provided with an axial passage 19 registering with the passage through the interior of the nipple 12 to provide for the running through of suitable wires, in accordance with the usual practice.

The articulated joint for coupling the suspension-stem 10 to the head 11- or an equivalent supporting-member consists of a rounded or bulbous terminal 20 upon the lower end of the head 11, over the upper surface of which is spun the upper end 21 of the suspension-stem 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. To prevent relative rotary movement between the suspension-stem 10 and head 11, the rounded terminal 20 of the latter is provided with a vertical notch 22 into which a portion of the periphery of the suspension-stein is indented as at 23.

The periphery of the body-portion of the head 11 is provided with screw-threads 24: interengaging with threads25 formed in the axial bore 26 of a canopy-supporting sleeve 27, which latter is vertically adjustable upon the head 11 by virtue of the threaded connection already referred to. The lower end of the sleeve 27 is provided with an outwardlyprojecting annular flange or ledge 28 upon which rests the lower edge 29 of a sheet-metal canopy 30 which serves to conceal the parts 11, 12 and 13 and such wires as may be em-' ployed for supplying current to the lightingfixture supported by the stem 10. 5 It will be noted by reference to Fig. 2 that the axial bore 26 in the canopy-supporting sleeve 27 slightly exceeds in size the diameter of the upper end of the suspension-stem so that it may extend down over the latter 10 without unduly restricting the lateral swinging movement thereof, which is required to permit the stem to hang vertically, notwithstanding any slight canting of the hickey 13 and associated parts, due to faulty installa- 15 tion of an outlet-box or for any other reason.

By employing the sleeve 27, which is of sufficient length to cover the articulated joint between the suspension-stem and the head 11, while still maintaining threaded connection with the latter, we are enabled to provide an articulated suspension-fixture for electric lights which, with its attendant advantages, presenting an appearance as neat and trim as may be expected from a non-articulated suspension-fixture.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that our invention may assume varied physical forms without departing from our inventive concept, and we, therefore. do not limit ourselves to the specific embodiment herein chosen for illustration. but only as indicated in the appended claim. I

We claim:

In a suspension-fixture for electric lights,

the combination with a suspension-head having an externally-threaded portion. a bulbous portion and an annular groove therebetween; of a rigid suspension-stem articulately connected to the said suspension-head by means 40 of a portion embracing the bulbous portion of the latter, and projecting inwardly into the said annular groove therein; a canopy for concealing the upper portion of the fixture; and a canopy-supporting sleeve provided 4 with an external upwardly-facing ledge for supporting the said canopy and having in- "ternal threads adapted to engage with the externally-threaded portion of the said suspension-head, and of suflicient length to ex- 9 tend downwardly therefrom over the annular groove in the said suspension-head to substantially conceal the articulated connection Without losing ample threaded engagement with the threaded portion of the suspension-head located above thearticulated connection. In testimony whereof, we have signed this specification.

MORRIS E. SURFACE. ARTHUR W. WELLINGTON. 

